Sound reproducing apparatus



March 29, 1932. F. H. OWENS SOUND REPRODUCING APPARATUS Filed June 18. 1929 IN VEN TOR. fizz/1M Own s A ORNE Y.

.a m \2 k ml. U x m l: D m w WM U Wnv 0 W0 I Q m o o o o D D D o a 0 Patented Mar. 29,1932 1 r NEW YORK, NQ'Y POB-ATION; on NEW YORK, n.

FREEMAN Y H. ownns;

'Assrenon Ero own'ns "nnviznormnnr" on5 A conronmr'ronon new YORK" I 1 sotmn 'nnrnonucmenrrianarns tioin will appear as the description 7 proceeds The drawing accompanying this specification is a diagrammatic view of an apparatus 7 embodying the features of the inventlon, and

' showing fragmentpi a film to illustrate? the xomanner in which itiactuates thevswitclr, closing lever for 'hringinginto action thede sired amplifier and speakerl the reproduction of instrumental music ire: quencies because of the difference in frequen- Well known, ampllfiers which are adjustedto reproduce VO1CQfIQqUGI1OIQSmOSt accyranges'of voice and musical instruments, The present invent on, therefore, contem platesth-e'provision of means whereby, slmultaneously-with a change from vocal ,to instrumental music or "vice v versa, the, rampli f fier bestadaptedfor the reproduction of the" voice or1-4music as; -the case may be, r. wil l be. automatically cut in. V p Referring to the drawing, two separate am' plifying units are shown, designated generally A and B each connected witha" loud a speaker, I and 2 respectively. 7 These amplifiersv and speakers are ,so constructed and ad-,

,;justed that one is'of proper arrangement for voice frequencies and the other for musical instrument -frequenc1es. The units A and r B- are separately wired to receive the output ,of: a light-sensitive element such as photo- 7 electric cell 3, which receives light rays modu-, I

lated-by passing througha sound-record car-v riedlbyi a-itraveling film 4:. Thedrawing.

comprising; a lamp i 5, 'focusing lens 61- and filmi-supp ortinggate 7 having the usual slit I} rate. Serial 1%; "37 ,595 417 1,

the sound-record tohetheiieby modulated betin eugh which 'the iiight rtys are rociisd a I tore passing to the'photo-electric c 11. In the j device as illustrated one terminalofthe photo electric. cell is .conne'cftedby a wire 8 with a pi votedcontact member 9, which is 1 adapted to move laterally into" contact alternately with terminals "10 and 11.1 The terminal 10 is connected,byawirel12with' the amplify; p Z

ingu nit A while the terminal 11" is connected by a wire 13 with the amplifyingunit B. It

will thus be'seen thatwhen the contact mean-f the r 9 is in contact "withterminal 10thefdut-Q L i put of the photo electricce'llwill be deliveredto the unit A'anidfitsloudspeaker1, and" when the contact member 9 is moved overint contact with terminal 11 the output of thecell will be delive'redto the unit Bf'and it'sj] loudspeaker 2.

For automatically moving the contact member 9 from'jone contacting position to the other, a 'pair of felectrom'agnets' 14 and I 15 are provided one disposedat each side curately may not be entirely satisfactory for,

of the Contact. m r 9y h by, when the-i m'agnet l lis energized contact member?) will he attracted into co ntact with'terminal lOf" an d,'-when magnet 15 is energized" the con?" tact member 9; will be attracted in the oppo-- site, direction and will thus swing over {into onec iw hiernma .o r a, a a,

ng the electromag For alternatelyenergizi nets '14 and 115, a rotatablejdrumf I6 "is pr'o j posed conducting and ins ulating poems-i7;

vided, said'idrumj having; on itsi'surface ade l acent to ltsop'posite ends alternately'fldis and18, the portions-adjacent toone end he ingjdisposed instaggered relationftothosei adjacent to the opp'ositee'ndand the conduct-i ing portionsbeing electrically connectedwith 1 I a sourceof energy. In frictional contactwith; the surface of the dru'rn'are apairjofbrushes 19 andQO'so disposed that when one brush 1 is in contact withia iconductingfportion ofe o ion et he dremihe a l' tr nets willihe alternately energized; "a i I g respectively bywir'es'2lfand 22 whereby on 1 o illustrates a conventional reproducingunit 1 herr fi i s we l rehewn saw-i for imparting a step by-step movement-to the drum whereby when it has been rotated into POSltlOI-ItO energize one of the electromagnets 23 on which the drum is mounted,:'the notches- Y of which disk areneng'ageable byfthe'hookof electrical energy (not shown), injthe cir-c of a' pivoted lever 3l,, theifopposite end of which carriesa'roller in engagement with one p I portinga-traveling-film having a soundre f shaped end of an armature 25 which is operated by aisolenoid 26'. The solenoidis conne'cted by conductors 27 and 28 with a source cuit of which solenoid is included a normally open switch comprising a fiiiedcontact 29 and a movable contact' BO The movable contact in "the present 'instanceis carried at one end ofjthe side edges of thefilm 4,'wherebyfthe lever is normally maintained in switch o'pen ing position. For intermittently operating" the lever thereby to close the switch mfomntarily, the film is provided in its edgewith notches'f32, disposed at such points where itiis" desired to change fromone amplifier j speaker to the other. A coilspring 33 is attached at one end to the lever and at its opposite end to a fixed-p'oint', whereby the lever is maintained under tensiontending to closethe, switch. It will thus'be obvious that when one-of the notches 32 arrives opposite 'the lever, the latter, under the tension of its spring, will be swung into switch-closing po: sition, whereupon the solenoid Will be energized so as to causef its hooked armature 25 to rotate, the disk 24 one step, consequently movingthe drum 16 so that the contact and insulated por'tion's thereof which'are brought into contact with the respectivebrushes 19 and 20am reversed, whereby the speaker which was inaction up to'that time'is cut out" and the other a speaker brought "into, action I The notches82 areofsulficient lengthto permit the solenoid to bo -energized only long enough to impart one "operative -movement totlie armature, 25. Bythe time that movemerit hasbeencompleted',fthe' endfw'all of the notch'has engaged the roller onfthe end of thellever, thus causing the roller to ride upon against the tension of its spring so' as to openl theedge of the filnrand swing the lever I l the switch, which 'will remainopen until another notch arrives opposite the lever.

I claim 1. A sound reproducingapparatus, comprising a reproducing unit, means for supporting a travehng film having a sound rec- 1 0rd in operative relation to said unit, a plucallycutting in either o f df m l fii I'f I: I 2. "A sound" reproducing apparatus, com- I prising a reprodueing:unit, 1neans for' sup porting a travelingfihn having a sound rec ord in operative relation to said unit, a plu' 'rality of vacuum tube amplifiers adapted to receive the output of the reproducing unit and means controlled by the record-carrying said. amplifiers.

film-for automatically 'cuttingin either of 0rd in operative relation to saidunit, a pin-i rality of vacuum tube amplifiers, each connected in normally open circuit with the. out-- put of reproducing unit, movable means for closing either of stud-circuits, and auto matically operative means for actuatingsaid circuit closin'g means.

4.. A sound reproducing apparatus, com

prising a reproducing unit, means for sup-ff ordjin operative relationto said unit, a' phi--- rality of vacuum 1 tube amplifiers each con; 'nected in normally open circuit with the output of the reproducing unit, amovable member for-closing either of said circuits, electro'-' magnetic means for operating said circuitclosing means, and means fs'electlvely'actuated by the record-carrylng film for energizingsaid electromagnetic means therebyitot close the circuit of either of said amplifiers'at a predeterminedpoint in the travelof the 5; A sound reproducing apparatus, 111

prising a reproducingjunit, means fonsu'pi" 1 V porting a traveling film having-a sound rec-- cord in operative relation to saidunit', a'plu-i rality of vacuum tube amplifiers electrically connected in open circuit-with the outputs Ofsaid unit, a pivoted member adapted-tr)"- maintain either of said-circuits closed, felec-I j c tromagnets corresponding innumber "with the:

amplifiers and adapted 'to attract said -piv-' tionto another, and means "actuatedxby -the record carrying film' for'selectively enerpoints in lthetravel'o'f the film;

"6; A sound reproducing ap porting a traveling film having a soundrec- 0rd in operative relation to said unit, a plurality of vacuum tube amplifiers electrically connected in open circuit with the output of saidunit, and means controlled bythe record; carrying film for selectivelyclosing' th'ecir 'cuits to said amplifiers, V

7 1 A sound reproducing" apparatus, oom

gizing said electromagnets at predetermined oted'member fromonecircuit closing posi 7 Q 7 'aratus', coma prlslng a reproducing unit, means forsupk 'risin -a re roducin unit means for su' C 7 porting atraveling film having asound rec-ford in operative relation to said unit,-a plu rality of amplifiers electrically c nnected'in open circuit With the 'outputflofjsaid unit,

electromagnetic means for selectively closing-f 7 the circuits to said amplifiers, a rotatable T I contact member for alternately maintaining said electromagnetic means energized, ele'c trically actuated means for rotating said contact member, a switch inthe circuit of said electrically actuated means, and tension means for closing said switch, said switch being normally maintained open by contact with the edge of the record-carrying film and said film having cut away portions at predetermined points in its edge thereby to permit momentary closingof the switch.

8. A sound reproducing apparatus, com- 1 risin are rodu'oin funit means for su 4 porting a traveling film having a sound rec 0rd in operative relation to said'unit, a plurality of amplifiers electrically connected in open circuit with the output of said unit, electromagnetic means for selectively closing the circuits to said amplifiers, a rotatable contact member for alternately maintaining said FREEMAN H. OWENS. 

